Twilight on My Horizon
by Bella Marie Whitlock
Summary: Imagine being thrust into another world. A world where the vampires and shapeshifters you've been reading about are actually real. A world where Edward is real and Jacob is real and mythical creatures are just walking around in front of you. That's what happened to me and it's time I tell you my story. Rated M just in case!
1. Prelude

**AN: I know, I know, why am I starting yet another new story when I technically still have so many unfinished ones? Well, rest assured, this isn't actually a new story. It's a story I started a long time ago, wrote several chapters of and never got around to posting. I found it when I was looking through my Google Docs, it was buried at the bottom of the list!**

**And since I have to clean my house this week and won't have as much time to write (ugh #houseworksucks) I thought I ought to be nice and make sure you still have something to read!**

**Hope you enjoy this one! Let me know your thoughts!**

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**Prelude**

So, as it turned out...arriving in Forks was the best thing I could have ever done for myself. Not that I would dare take any of the credit. My arrival in the small town was not of my own choosing. However, I had to admit that nearly everything had gotten better for me since finding myself in Washington. But, I should probably step back a bit and explain who I am and why this is at all significant, perhaps.

Like many of you, I too was a fan of Twilight. I believed it to be a series of young adult literature, revolving around a highly relatable, fictional, teenage girl; happily immersed in the supernatural world, of vampires and shapeshifters. Of course, I was never naïve enough to believe there was any _truth_ to the stories. Stephenie Meyer wrote them, and that was all they were, just books. Nothing more.

At least, that is what I _believed_ for a long time after reading them. What I couldn't possibly have known then, as an average, ordinary, fan of the Twilight series...was that those books, would quite _literally, _become my life.

I was not a very popular person, by nature. I tended to alienate people by being too talkative and I had often, over the years, been told that I needed to learn how to use my filter. And also how to control my temper but it's not like I intentionally lash out at people. At least, not anymore.

I lived with my mother as a teenager and my grandmother in my grandmother's house. I was a flower-child of sorts, raised by a hippy pacifist. My mother never believed in disciplining me. She wanted, rather, to be my best friend instead. Picture a bit of Renee Dwyer's flaky, free-spirited way, combined with Esme Cullen's nurturing nature, and Alice's craziness thrown in for good measure, that would be an approximate summary of my mother.

My grandmother, on the other hand, was more like Rose. Strong, stubborn, the fix-it-yourself type. Quiet and unassuming, until you get her riled and when you do, stand back because it's bound to get ugly!

So there you have it, that was my foundation. But just because I was raised by two strong, independent women, the type who didn't need a man in their lives to take care of them...does not, for even one second, mean that is how _I_ was wired.

Quite the opposite, in fact. I was always waiting for prince charming to show up. Except I never pictured the _literal_ charming prince type, per se.

No, my dream man was a much darker creature. From a young age, I was drawn to the bad boys. Not the ones who would tease me and throw rocks at pigeons, of course, no. But my first crush was the youngest boy to be expelled from my elementary school. My second crush was a member of a metal rock band, and my third crush left a trail of broken hearts all over the city we lived in at the time, including mine.

When these were the kind of boys I was drawn to, it's no wonder that I had dreams of growing up to be a mob boss and it is also not _that_ weird, that I ended up extremely infatuated with _vampires_.

But I suppose, I was also drawn to the light. After all, that first crush just happened to be as sweet as a puppy dog. The second...well, I suppose I neglected to mention it was a _Christian _metal rock band. And the third, well, he was also a good friend to me, in spite of his many flaws and fickle nature.

I realized, eventually, that the mob life wasn't going to be a realistic plan for me. As much as I loved the secretive world of power and wealth that the television portrayed; I knew I wasn't actually cut out for the darker underbelly of society.

But unlike the rest of these childhood whims, the obsession with vampires did not merely fade away. It grew stronger and I devoured everything I could get my hands on; reading stories, watching television and movies, etc. I was even a vampire for Halloween several times and at one point I threw out my entire, brightly colored, wardrobe in exchange for a more _Gothic_ style of clothing.

Well, one dark day, I found out the hard way that not only were vampires _real_, but they were not to be trifled with. I was reading the Twilight books for the fourth time when all of a sudden there was a knock at my door. I could hear my mother and grandmother arguing in our dining room, which was not an uncommon occurrence, so I took the liberty of answering it myself.

It was a woman, who frantically barged inside and started drawing something on the wall of my living room. "I don't have time to explain, but it's a Portal. It's the only thing that can save you now. Just throw the books in, and they'll take you to that world. It's real, it exists in another dimension. I've been there. But I'm the only person I know of who can travel this way, or make a Portal in the first place, and he's going to kill me. He wants to kill you too, but if you go through now, I can seal the Portal and he can't follow you. You'll be safe. Go!" she screamed, pushing me toward my now glowing wall.

"But my family!?" I cried, not wanting to leave them, along with the only world I had ever known.

"I'll lead him away from here but there isn't much time! Go!" she yelled again, shoving me through. I reluctantly complied. But the last sounds I heard, as I traveled to a new world, were the blood-curdling screams of my mother and grandmother. And the sound of the Portal behind me, being _sealed_, forever.

* * *

I suppose it should not have been a surprise to me then, that I would find myself in the world of the books; or that the world of the books itself was not that much different than my own. Or should I say, my _former_ world.

What surprised me the most though, was the fact that I was not _me_ any longer. I was still a girl, with brown hair. About the same age as I had been, maybe a year or two younger. But I had become considerably shorter and lost a tremendous amount of weight; dropping from a size sixteen to a size two. My eyes were no longer their boring, blue-grey color anymore, either. They were now a warm, rich brown.

My mother was still screaming...but instead of the terrible screams I had heard as I departed from my old world, these new screams were intent on reminding me of the things I still needed to pack. I think I must have heard the word umbrella yelled to me about six times, at least.

And the voice sounded a lot different. Not to mention the fact that it was accompanied by the soft reassurances of one _far_ _less_ scatterbrained, minor league ballplayer, named Phil.

That's right, ladies and gentlemen, the Portal had not only transported me to a new world but had also given me a new life to live, in a new body. From that day forward, I would forevermore look into the mirror and see the face of one Isabella Marie Swan!

Oh well, at least the books survived the trip. With any luck, I could use them as a sort of travel guide for this new journey which was sure to be an interesting, yet chaotic one.

Forks, Washington…_here I come!_

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**AN: Also, I changed the years that the books were published for the purposes of this story. Partly to illustrate that they were written in a slightly different universe than ours and partly to fit the character.**


	2. Rainy Days Are Here Again!

**AN: First off, thanks to all who are checking this out, following and favouriting this story!**

**Mega thanks to Sioban Whitlock, twi nana, and catgrl, for reviewing last chapter!**

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**Chapter One: Rainy Days Are Here Again!**

After arriving in Forks; without any sort of difficulty and equally without fanfare...I was admittedly still a little distracted. The person that I had been was gone, I couldn't go back to that life, even if I wanted to. And in its place, I had been gifted with something very rare and valuable. I had been given knowledge of the future as it was bound to play out, provided I changed nothing. But of course, I was not going to leave things as they were.

With my luck, if I attempted to repeat the events of the books, verbatim, I would screw up _just enough_ to ruin everything. I'd face the wrong direction in front of the fan in biology and Edward would eat me (and not in a kinky way, either). Or I would get to the ballet studio too soon and James would kill me before the Cullens had a chance to arrive and save me. Or any other number of possible screw-ups that could have catastrophic consequences.

No, my best bet was to go straight to the hospital at my first opportunity, explain the situation to Carlisle, have him read the books, and hope that he believed them enough to call a Cullen family meeting (sans puny human) in the attempt to head all of the bad shit off at the pass. So, that's what I planned to do.

Using my expected clumsiness as an excuse, I put the boxed set of Twilight paperbacks into my messenger bag and asked Charlie if we could swing by the hospital on the way home, so that I might familiarize myself with the local emergency staff and facilities, just for when things _inevitably_ went south.

He laughed, of course, but agreed easily. I think he was secretly pleased with the excuse to show off his long lost daughter to some of the townsfolk. I knew by this point, my arrival was probably their main topic of gossip, so at least now they would be able to put a face to their whisperings.

* * *

It didn't take us long to gain an audience with the great Dr. Cullen himself. Charlie being the Chief of Police meant that the waters in this town sort of had a tendency to part for him.

"Dr. Cullen, I'd like you to meet my daughter, Bella. She happens to be somewhat accident prone. So, I think she was only half kidding when she asked to tour the hospital today. But I thought it couldn't hurt to bring her by here since I'll need to add her in under my medical insurance and whatnot anyway."

"Isabella Swan. Well, the pleasure is all mine. Your father here has been looking forward to your arrival, My Dear. You are indeed the talk of this town." Carlisle smiled in his friendly, charismatic, bedside manner. It was proving to be no less impressive in person than reading about him in the books. If he wasn't a married man and potentially my future father-in-law, I'm telling you, I probably would have swooned right then and there. Instead, I watched as my dad stepped aside to go fill out some paperwork and then I took the opportunity to say my piece.

"That's very sweet of you say, Dr. Cullen. And I appreciate you taking the time out to meet with us. Would you have just a few minutes to discuss a medical concern, in private? It isn't the kind of thing I would want to ask in front of my dad." I requested, trying to look as sincere as possible.

"Yes, of course, Bella, why don't you step into my office for a moment?" He offered. I nodded and told Charlie where I would be, then followed Carlisle into the smaller room where he was waiting.

_Great, he probably thinks I want him to prescribe me birth control or something. Guess I'd better get straight to the point._

"Dr. Cullen, I imagine that, over time, you have encountered many things and situations that are, oh how should I put this, _out of the ordinary?_" I began.

"Are we speaking medically or of life in general?" He smiled indulgently.

"Well, I assume you've probably encountered unusual circumstances _both_ medically and personally in your years on this planet, but for now I am just talking about life. Would you say that, in spite of your profession, or perhaps in part, because of it, you have developed an ability to believe in the unbelievable?"

"That is a very interesting question, Bella. Just what is this about, may I ask?" He spoke, in a voice that was a cross between curious and concerned.

"This book series," I said, holding out the boxed set for him to take. "Where I come from, these books are quite popular. The premise is somewhat interesting. They are about a girl named Bella, who moves to Forks, and falls in love with a vampire, named Edward. To my knowledge, these are the only copies that exist in _this _world. Where I come from, these people were merely fictional characters. But here? Well, I can assure you that Bella Swan, is _very_ real.

"Now, based on the fact that you, also, seem to be real, I can hazard a guess that Edward is as well. Given the fact that these books are based as much on his potential future as they are on mine, I have no qualms about entrusting them into your care and allowing your family to read them. Provided, of course, that you do not allow them to fall into the wrong hands and that they are returned to me in the condition they're in at present. Is that an arrangement we can make, Dr. Cullen?"

I hoped he would agree to take the books and read them with his family. What I didn't expect, was how cool he would be about the whole thing. I guess it should have occurred to me that a man who had not only _known_ about the supernatural world his whole life but also resided in it, himself, for several hundred years, would be pretty open-minded. So I'm not sure why I thought this was going to be such a hard sell. Instead, it was quite the opposite.

"_Thank you,_ Isabella. We will read them as soon as I arrive home tonight. In the meantime, I would like you to stay indoors at Charlie's house, where you will be safe; and not to venture out until my family has had a chance to call on you, after reading these. While I don't know what _exactly _these books may contain, I would think, based on what you have told me so far, that you might become a very important person to my family, Young Lady. So please be careful and I will send one of my children to collect you as soon as we have completed the books. Is that acceptable?"

He smiled again with that charming, small-town doctor smile, which suited his big city, polished appearance, surprisingly well. "Yes, Dr. Cullen, thank you for understanding. I'll see you soon." I nodded.

"Carlisle please, Isabella," he corrected.

"Alright, Carlisle, then. And you may call me Bella if you don't mind. I prefer the shortened form." I said, just because I knew that was what she would have said in the books. I figured if I were to stand any shot at having the future that Bella had, I needed to present myself the way that she would have, at least for the time being.

"Did you get all your questions answered?" Charlie asked me, as I joined him and we made our way back out to his cruiser.

"Yes, I did. Doctor Cullen is really nice, Dad." I smiled. "I think I'm going to like going to school with his family. In fact, I think I'm going to like living in Forks."

Charlie had been about to pull out onto the road but he stopped and turned to face me when I said that. "Do I need to take you back in there? I'm starting to think you might be running a fever, Bells," he teased.

That was the _first_ departure that I planned on making from the books. No point in wallowing about leaving Phoenix as original Bella would have. Where I came from, there was no desert heat to miss. In fact, Forks might have constant rain, but I was used to constant snow. So for me, this was a step _up_.

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**AN: Next chapter, the Cullens will be reading the books. But don't worry, that will only take one chapter because it isn't the main focus of our story! After that we will get to see what this Bella does differently!**


	3. Finally, We Will Be Complete!

**AN: Hi All! Hope we're liking this one so far! I know I, for one, am pretty excited about it :D**

**Thanks as always to those who read, fave and follow!**

**Thanks muchly to, twi nana, and Kyra, for reviewing last chapter!**

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**Chapter Two: Finally, We Will Be Complete!**

**Carlisle's POV**

After Bella (as she evidently preferred to be called) and her father left the hospital, I resumed my rounds. I was definitely eager to complete my hours and return home to my family. With the books safely tucked away out of sight in my office though certainly not out of mind...I worked on until it was finally time to go home.

As soon as I began driving, I made a conscious decision to call a family meeting in the hopes that Alice would see it and have the troops assembled before I had even pulled into the driveway. I did not wish to waste a moment before telling my family about this.

When I arrived, just as expected, everyone was waiting for me in the living room. All that Alice had told them was that I had met a girl today who would change our family forever and that we needed to read the books in order to find out precisely how.

* * *

Two hours later, I had finished reading the first book aloud to everyone. I paused to give them a bit of time to process all we had just learned. Poor Edward must have been bombarded by the maelstrom of everyone's thoughts. He and Jasper, who was clearly suffering under the weight of everyone's emotions, both looked like they were having a very hard time of it.

"Jasper, could you please help everyone to calm down? Then we will be able to discuss the events of this book without working ourselves into a frenzy," I suggested.

"Gladly," Jasper agreed as calming waves spread out over the room.

"Thank you, Son. Now, since Edward is the one whom all of this concerns most directly, I say we allow him to speak first."

He pinched the bridge of his nose and began pacing. Even Jasper's influence was not enough to calm someone completely when there was a prospect of danger to their mate. "She has read these books? Bella, I mean. She gave them to you, correct?"

I nodded in confirmation and he seemed to be thinking for a few minutes while we waited in silence. "But, you say she spoke of being from a world where these are stories of fiction. So, is the Bella who gave these to you, even _my _Bella? Are they really still one and the same?"

"That is a very good question, Edward. It is entirely possible that you will not even have a connection with _this _version of Bella. After all, it seems she is originally from a different reality and may have even been an entirely different person, at one point in time. However, it is also entirely possible that their two consciousnesses have merged and that all of the qualities you fell in love with in this alternate version of the future are still present inside of _this _Bella.

"Or, there is a third possibility that the reason the girl from the other world was able to jump into Bella's body in the first place is that their souls are identical. Two versions of the same individual, existing simultaneously, in two different bodies. In which case, there really _is_ no difference. It would only be their memories that differ. Regardless, I think that we should proceed as though they are one and the same, until such time as we know for certain. Because to do otherwise would not be in anyone's best interest.

"Based on the events foretold in this first book, I would say that it is our job to protect Bella and to welcome her into this family with open arms. She knows virtually no one in town and she already has this connection with our family because of the books. It would be wise to take her under our wing and go from there. If it seems she is not who the books portray her to be, or if anything seems amiss, we will reevaluate. Until then, let's find out what more we can learn by finishing these books, shall we?" I proposed as we settled back in and I picked up the second volume, the one called New Moon.

Everyone agreed for now and I began to read again.

* * *

After completing the second book, I could tell, that everyone was pretty shaken up. Both Edward and Bella, along with others in our family, had made some pretty poor decisions during the events of New Moon. I could tell right off, that Esme was upset by the revelation that Edward would ever consider harming himself. I also knew Jasper well enough to know that he was blaming himself for the family's departure, as the catalyst of everything else, even though none of the rest of us would blame him, for any of it.

During the breakup portion of the book, everyone was quite upset with Edward. For the manner in which he left Bella, the lies he told while doing so, and the fact that he chose to leave her in the first place. Then, afterward, everyone was worried about Bella's depression and subsequent thrill-seeking.

We were all terrified for her when she leaped from the cliffs and everyone was on the edge of their seats with worry during the events that followed thereafter. There seemed to plenty of suggestions for how things could have been better handled. Constructive criticisms such as Esme 's suggestion that Alice in the book might have refrained from telling the family about her vision. At least until she was able to discern if Bella had lived or died. As well as some far less helpful remarks including Alice suggesting that Rosalie should have, "Kept her big fat mouth shut."

We all were afraid for Edward, Bella, and Alice in Volterra and then greatly relieved once they were safely home again. And everyone was a lot more relaxed once Edward and Bella were back together.

We were grateful to Bella for risking her life to save Edward. Though, everyone seemed to be in agreement that the sacrifice would have been unnecessary if he had not broken up with her in the first place. Especially since, as Alice put it, "They're hopeless without each other anyway, so what did leaving really accomplish besides giving the wolf room to move in on Bella?"

And now that New Moon was finished, that seemed to be the general consensus. Even Edward felt that he had no one to blame for Jacob's involvement in Bella's life besides himself for leaving in the first place. It became clear to him, I think, after hearing of these possible events…that if he wished to keep Bella out of Jacob Black's embrace _and_ off of the Volturi's radar...he would need to make very different decisions this time around. Which, Alice offered to help with, by promising not to plan any events that might put Bella at risk or prevent anyone of us from hunting as often as needed.

"Alright, does anyone have any further concerns at this point or shall we move on to Eclipse now?" I asked, picking the next book up, though not putting New Moon down, just yet.

"I do," Alice whispered, "As someone used to dealing in the future, I would like to stress that there has been some very clear foreshadowing that would indicate Victoria will continue to be a going concern. If we find nothing in the last two books that suggests we should do otherwise, I believe that James's coven should be eliminated when they first show their faces in this area. And as much as it pains me to say it, I think that in order to do so, we should work together with the wolves."

"What!? Why? Alice have you lost your mind?!" Rosalie stood up, gesticulating wildly. "We all agreed that Jacob Black needs to be kept _far away_ from Bella, and now you want to _work with the wolves!?_"

"Rose, shut up and let me explain, please!" Alice huffed. "According to the timeline of the books, Jacob Black will not _be_ a wolf yet when the nomads arrive in town. So dealing with the wolves about James's coven, does not mean putting Jacob anywhere near us, or the situation. And if _we_ can get into Sam's good graces, _before _Jacob turns, then we will have Sam and the rest of the Pack's help in dealing with not only our nomad problem but our Jacob problem as well."

"Oh." Rose relented. "Yeah. I guess that could work."

I kept my internal smile from showing as I looked around, making sure everyone had said their piece before launching into the third book. And boy what a book it was!

* * *

"Well, I guess Alice was right about working together with the dogs, it looks like we ended up needing their help anyway. Maybe if we get a head start on that alliance, we can get rid of James, Victoria, _and _Laurent, before the Denalis ever get to know him and hopefully preserve our friendship with them in the process. I don't think he was truly Irina's mate; just a really cunning liar," Jasper surmised.

"Yeah, but I can't believe Jacob keeps putting his paws all over Edward's mate! How are we expected to work together with them when I just wish he would choke on a hairball and die!?" Rose huffed furiously.

"Uh, Babe, I thought it was cats who get fur balls?" Emmett questioned, taking her comment literally.

"I think everyone needs to stop being so hard on the wolves. Sure they are different from us, but in this battle that the book reports, we all surely would have been killed without their assistance. I think we ought to give them more credit. And as for Jacob, maybe there is a reason he is drawn to Bella. Until we know more, I don't think we should jump to conclusions. In fact, if everyone is ready, I think we should read the last book?" My wonderful wife contributed.

"Yes, Dear," I agreed and began reading.

* * *

I cannot even count on two hands the sheer number of times I had to ask Jasper to calm the room during the reading of Breaking Dawn. Everyone was getting quite upset at practically every turn of the page.

Rosalie was the worst for it. She was practically inconsolable, even _with_ Jasper gift. I don't think she knew how to feel about the revelation that _male _vampires could apparently have children. I know a part of her was overjoyed by the possibilities and by the addition of Renesmee into our family, while another part of her was likely very envious.

And she was completely disgusted by Edward's desire to terminate the pregnancy and even more so, by my ability to see his side. The only thing that calmed her down was the revelation that Emmett, who was put on the spot to give an honest answer to the question, said that given Edward's lack of knowledge at the time...if it had been Rose instead of Bella, he _himself_ would have advocated the same thing.

"I know you want a baby, Rose, but if you died in the process, what would be the point? It'd be a tall order to ask any man, vampire or otherwise, to happily raise a child who killed their mate, however unintentionally, coming into the world. Even if the baby involved were fully human." Emmett told her as gently as possible.

"She _didn't_ die, Em. Even in the books, when they had no knowledge of what to do and hardly _any_ information to help them, she _still _survived the change. Sure, being a vampire is not what _I_ would have chosen, but if she still gets to be a _mother_?

"And not just any mother, but the mother to a child who will live for at least several centuries! Who could seriously condemn her for wanting that? Yes, it was a risk to her health, but the risk was _worth _it! And obviously, this version of Bella believes that as well, or else she would not have allowed us to read Breaking Dawn. No way would she have given us that book if she wasn't open to the possibility of the future contained in those pages! You have to see that, don't you _see_!?"

"My child," I interrupted, "Perhaps is it not for us to decide these things, Rose. The future contained in these pages may involve the rest of us, but this is a love story about Edward and Bella. I truly believe that it is up to the two of them to decide their own future. And Edward, that means _the both of you_. I know you feel strongly about the events in the books, My Son, but please try to remember that all of this affects Bella too. She needs to have a say in what she wants to have happen with her life.

"Also, please remember that this _isn't _the same Bella. For all we know, she may choose to live a life that does not involve vampires. And, though it isn't too likely, there is also a slim possibility that she may choose to be with the wolf boy, Jacob. After all, one of her reasons for not choosing him in the books was the fear that he might imprint and leave her. Well, if we now know that Renesmee is Jacob's imprint, then in choosing not to create the child, Bella would be able to secure herself a place at Jacob's side, if that's what she wanted.

"We dare not assume that her giving us these books to read, means that she wants to be a part of this family. The girl gave the books to me, merely with the intention of allowing us to read them. And I believe, that her only intention thus far, was for us to be aware of the contents of the books and to open a dialog between our family and herself. Until we begin that dialog, we cannot know what she _actually _wishes, or even, why she is here. We also do not know how she came to be in this world, or where she came _from_. All of this might be of more relevance than we realize.

"If we are in agreement about discussing the books with the girl, I will have Alice, since she is the closest friend of the Bella in the books, go to her and invite her to visit us and begin a discussion. Does anyone have objections to that plan as a first step?" I asked, looking around the room at my wife and children.

"No, it seems like everyone is amenable to that initial course of action," Edward informed me, after reading the thoughts of the room.

"Perfect, it will be morning in a few hours. Why don't we all take this time to hunt, and then when we are ready, Alice, you may fetch the girl from Chief Swan's house, please?" I suggested.

"Sure thing, Carlisle!" Alice happily agreed, getting excited to meet her new friend.

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**AN: Feedback makes my world go 'round!**

**Hugs and Blessings,**

**-BMW**


	4. Don't Bite the Messenger!

**AN: Hi All! Hope everyone is enjoying this fic!**

**Many thanks to all who have been reading, favouriting, and following this story so far! I'm putting a lot of myself into this one, so your interest means a lot!**

**Huge thanks to, Moondancer1818, catgrl, DxGRAYxMAN, and twi nana, for reviewing last chapter!**

**Hugs & Blessings,**

**-BMW**

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**Chapter Three: Don't Bite the Messenger!**

**Bella's POV**

Right away I could tell I was going to have a problem. The original Bella was shy and quiet. I was the exact opposite. Avoiding suspicion from Charlie was going to be very difficult. At least for the first while, I would probably be better off avoiding him as much as possible, if I didn't want to end up having the 'Who are you and what have you done with my daughter?' talk.

Later on, it would be less of a problem, I hoped. That is if the Cullens still wanted anything to do with me. Then I could just pretend Alice was beginning to rub off on me. Hopefully, they would want me in their life, even though I wasn't the girl they would have gotten.

"Bella?" Asked the Pixie who was apparently sitting in my bedroom when I woke the morning after my arrival. I nearly had a heart attack right then, rendering the whole thing a moot point. _Right, Alice = No boundaries. Gonna have to remember that._

On the bright side, while original Bella's main goal in life, as a human, seemed to be simply _surviving, _which was a feat easier said than done, given her clumsiness and penchant for danger...my goal...was plain old _fun_. Which meant that unlike original Bella, Alice wasn't going to have to drag me along kicking and screaming.

"Alice!" I smiled, kicking my covers off. She must have seen my decision to walk over and hug her because she was grinning ear to ear by the time I did so.

"I'd call this uncharacteristic of you, based on what we read last night, but I'm starting to get the impression there will be a lot of differences?" She asked, raiding my closet for something suitable and not finding much.

"Yes, like for starters, I have no objections to taking your fashion advice. So, lay it on me!" I grinned.

"Really? You mean, for real? Because if you're serious, my advice is to throw out all but three of the items in this closet and let me take you shopping after the family meeting. Can we do that?" She watched me hopefully, clearly expecting me to say no.

"Well I'm not opposed to it, but not without conditions." I hedged, "I like shopping, and I think I will especially like shopping with someone who knows her fashion and can save me from myself, but I also don't want to be a charity project. I know you wouldn't see it that way, of course, but the humans would.

"Especially my new dad because I really don't think that original Bella has enough in the bank to justify a designer shopping spree at the moment. So the only way we'd be able to shop so soon, would be on your dime. And while _I _happen to know about the centuries of accumulated Cullen wealth sitting virtually untouched in a plethora of _very_ deep bank accounts the world over, under assorted pseudonyms...Charlie doesn't. To him, it would just look like I was taking advantage of my first friend in town simply because her father is a doctor. And that is not the kind of impression I want to make.

"So, unless you can come up with a very believable reason for me to be accepting brand new clothes from you at the low, low price of free, I will have to pass until I have an income. Sorry." I sighed. The thought of missing out on a day of letting Alice spoil me was depressing at best. Pampering was not something I had previously had many opportunities for, and I had always wanted to see what it was like to know how the other half lived.

"That's easy, Bella! One of my elective classes this year is art and another is fashion. We can tell Charlie that I need a model for the semester, for a couple of projects I am doing, and that it would be cheaper for me to let you keep the clothes I have to buy for it anyway than it would be to pay a model by the hour. I'll tell him everyone else has already turned me down, so it looks like you're doing me a tremendous favor. And really, you will be, because even though I don't actually have any assignments like that, I can still take the pictures and whip up something for extra credit," she giggled, happy to have found a solution to my fashion issues.

"Okay, that could work. Do you really need to do something for extra credit though? I would assume your marks would be pretty decent." I laughed.

"Oh they are, for the most part, but we do tend to miss a fair bit of school. Between the weather when it's too sunny and all of the traveling we like to do, it doesn't hurt to have something to submit for extra credit. Besides, I also tend to have to duck out of class on days when my visions overwhelm me. So for all those reasons, you really _would _be doing me a favor." She nodded.

Even though I knew she was telling the truth, I also knew she was emphasizing the point, so I wouldn't feel like a mooch for spending her money. It was very sweet of her and I began to feel bad that the books had downplayed how considerate Alice was, choosing instead to focus on her more materialistic tendencies.

"Thank you, Alice!" I said sincerely, hugging her again. They would all learn soon that I was a very huggy person. Hopefully being that way around vampires wouldn't get me killed. I knew better than to rush it with Edward or Jasper though since original Bella was Edward's singer and Jasper's gift caused his thirst to be amplified, especially when Edward was around. I had to wonder why they didn't give him more credit in the books, given all he had to contend with but it was at least implied, if not spelled out, anyways.

We left Charlie's shortly thereafter to go to the Cullen house. I was nervous at first, but not for either the reasons I should have been or the reasons that Bella was. Instead, I was nervous because I was meeting the beautiful people. In my former life, up until joining original Bella in her body, I was not necessarily a gorgeous individual.

I wasn't hideous or homely by any means and I did have nice features. But I was always overweight, sometimes to the point of obesity, like many of us in the western world today. And I had other things that made me feel less attractive, like eyeglasses, and somewhat misaligned teeth. Bella's body was definitely an upgrade.

So, I knew that until I got used to looking in the mirror and feeling beautiful, I was bound to feel a little uncomfortable around the aesthetically perfect Cullens. Alice was so boisterous that you hardly noticed her perfection right off the bat. But being around so _many_ of them at one time was bound to be a bit intimidating.

I was also a little worried about how I would live up to the Bella in the books. She and I were quite different and I wasn't sure if they would end up liking me less or more. And some of the decisions I knew I would make differently than she did worried me too. I knew right off the bat that I was about to gain a most unlikely ally but that I would probably upset others instead. Oh well, I'd just have to hope that I inherited Bella's shield so that I could take my time leading into that particular discussion properly, not have it pulled from my head before I'm ready.

"Bella? We're here." Alice said as we pulled up in front of the architectural marvel that was the Cullen home. I stopped her before she could get out of the car. I was already sick of being called Bella. For starters, it didn't mesh well with my aforementioned issues with beauty. For another reason, it was far too serious and proper a name for someone like me.

"You know what? I think I'm going to change that. I don't want to be _Bella_ and it should be easy enough to blame the change on teenage hormones. So let's figure this out right now, you and me. Do you think I'd make a better Izzy or an Ella?" I pondered, liking either of those alternatives better. I didn't want to change original Bella's _name_, just what people called me.

"Ooh, that's a tough choice! On one hand, Izzy is more fun, but on the other, Ella sounds so much more classy! But hey, you know, if you do decide to become one of us, it might not hurt to have a few names to choose from, since we usually change them on occasion. I've been Ally, Alison, and Alisa before, in addition to Alice.

"Jasper has been Jesse, Jackson, and Jason. Rosalie has been Rosalind, Rosamund, and Roseanne. Emmett has tried Emery, Emerson, and Emeril. Carlisle has been Carl, Carlson, Carlton, and we all laugh at him for it, Lyle, which _really _does not suit him. Esme has been Esmerelda, Esther, and Essie. And Edward has been Edwin, Edgar, and Edmund.

"Why don't you start with Izzy, because I can tell it suits you, and if you ever feel like projecting a more sophisticated vibe for a while, you can switch to Ella. I knew a Katherine who said she went by Kitty as a baby, Katy as a little girl, Kit during her preteen years, Kate as a teenager, and Kathy as an adult. She sold me a car once, so it isn't that uncommon to switch it up." She advised.

"Good point! Izzy, it is then. Think we can sell the others on it?" I asked as we headed into the house.

"We probably won't have to, they most likely all heard our discussion anyway." She smirked.

Before I could answer, I was pulled away from Alice and abruptly smushed by a friendly giant. _Emmett, of course, who else?_

"Let me guess, Emmett?" I laughed.

"Yep! But you can call me Brother Bear, or The Hottest Cullen, whatever you prefer."

"Ego much, Babe?" Rose rolled her eyes at him. She gave me a look that implied she probably already had a lot of questions for me and was politely biding her time. I knew what _that_ was going to be about and was willing to bet Edward had a lot of the same questions but for very different reasons. Which reminded me…

"Edward, can you please tell me if I inherited original Bella's power? I'm dying to know if I can stop singing The Ants Go Marching in my head or not." I grinned, looking him in the eye.

He was wisely standing at the top of the stairs with the more controlled vampires located between him and me, but he was still in my line of sight, for which I was grateful. If we were going to see whether we had a spark or not, it was better to know sooner than later, but at a safe enough distance he couldn't eat me.

"It's interesting. I'm getting the occasional snippet. More like, the way that Charlie was in the books, rather than the total blackout that was Bella." He smiled, with that strangely adorable, crooked, half-grin he was famous for.

"Huh, so that's another sign things are as I suspected then," I said to everyone after Esme introduced herself and ushered me into the living room where she had generously prepared an assortment of finger foods for me. I began eating and drinking the coffee they offered me, as I explained.

"I have complete access to all of Bella's memories. Between that, and this, it would suggest that she is still in here, somewhere, and her shield must be partially functioning. I have all of my own memories, and none of her personality seems to be seeping in, although I suppose time will tell whether I've gained any of her soft skills. So far, my clumsiness hasn't increased. Although I was always a little clumsy, to begin with. Anyway, my own observations can wait, as I'm sure you all have questions?" I concluded, preparing myself for the deluge.

"Me first? Is it too soon to ask if you feel anything?" Edward asked, which I would have probably been offended by if he hadn't looked so adorably vulnerable in the asking.

"There's definitely _something_. I'd call it more than the regular human reaction to a sexy vampire, but still somewhat less than original Bella's all-consuming connection. You?"

He slowly took steps gradually toward me. The others stayed close by in case of trouble. "Sorry, it feels too weird having this conversation from across the room. Plus, I think your scent must be somewhat reduced from what hers would have been because it burns a lot more than the average human but not quite to catastrophic levels. Although part of that could be that I was more prepared for it.

"But aside from the blood, it feels like I'm probably experiencing closer to what Bella felt in the books. Book Edward was going to walk into the sun without her whereas she went catatonic for a few months and then began to recover." He explained, standing just out of arm's reach.

"Hmm, so earth shattering but not life ending? Okay, I can work with that. That is if you have any desire to go down that road?" I asked carefully, attempting not to sound too hopeful or too dismissive. It was a fine line. I already knew he wasn't going to be my be all, end all, per se. But I definitely knew I still wanted him in my life. I just didn't know if that would be enough for him.

"Yes, I do, but from the snippets I'm catching, I think we're going to have a lot to hash out. I get the impression I am a lot more…conservative, than you are?" He teased. Edward, teasing about something like _that_? He must have lightened up some from reading the books!

I mean, okay, so...my ideas about love and romance are pretty liberal. I'm generally what you'd call a polyamorously minded person. I believe in true love and commitment. I also believe that true love and commitment to more than one person at a time is equally plausible to monogamy.

It's like the idea of saying you love your first child less when you gain another one. No, I believe the magic penny song. Love is something, if you give it away, you end up having more. And I don't believe that applies any less to romantic love than it does to familial love.

I also think if Bella in the books had taken Edward up on his offer to have 'puppies' with Jacob and be with both of them, that they would have figured out a way to make it work. I couldn't help but wonder how much of those beliefs he was picking up on through his 'snippets'.

"Yeah, we'll sit down and discuss things after everyone gets a chance to have their most pressing questions answered." I smiled. "Who's next?"

"I'm just going to address the elephant in the room." Rose spoke up, "Knowing what you know about what the Bella in the books went through, are you still considering the eventual possibility of pregnancy?"

I sighed. "I was kind of hoping this wouldn't be asked right away, before I had a chance to discuss my wishes about this with Edward, but give me a minute to make an official decision, so that he can pick it out of Alice's thoughts and if he doesn't freak out, I will tell you, okay?"

She nodded and I focused really hard on how I wanted things to go on that front. Omitting a few of the more personal details. Edward gasped as the images must have hit him, but then he looked so happy, I knew the future I wanted must be possible.

"So, it can be done then?" I asked him and Alice.

"Yes, and surprisingly, I don't foresee nearly as many complications as there were in the books," Alice confirmed and with a nod from Edward, I turn to Rose and took her hands in mine.

"It looks like with the right prenatal care, and with all hands on deck for the deliveries, this body is capable of surviving _multiple_ hybrid pregnancies before having to be turned. So, Rose, I want to offer to be a surrogate for you, as soon as I finish high school. We can find out for sure if your eggs are medically viable, and if they aren't you're welcome to use mine. We can discuss the details another time and you have plenty of time to decide, but I wanted you to know the offer was there." I told her, crying the tears that I knew _she_ would have cried if she could.

"You seriously want to go through almost dying, for _me_?" She whispered.

"Rose, as the only woman in the world capable of doing this for you, it would be my honor and my privilege. So yes, I am one hundred percent serious." And a millisecond after I fished saying that, I was being hugged tightly, by none other than Rosalie Hale.

* * *

Carlisle's questions were mostly medical, revolving around old Bella versus new Izzy (since I had told him the pregnancy logistics could wait) and Jasper's questions were mostly logistical, pertaining to the various battles and enemies the Cullens faced in the books. Alice didn't have anything pressing since she knew she'd have me all to herself shopping afterward, and Esme just wanted to know what kinds of foods I liked.

Emmett's questions were the ones I liked the best because he was even funnier than the books described.

"So, what was your world like?"

"Essentially the same as this one." I shrugged.

"So no little green men, huh?"

"Sadly not, sorry." I smiled.

"That's okay. Any jolly green giants?"

"Only at the grocery store."

"Lol!"

"Um, Emmett, you know LOL stands for laugh out loud and that it isn't actually a word, right?" I smirked.

"Yeah, but people say it." He pouted.

"No, they really don't, actually."

"So, should I be asking _when _you come from?" he pondered.

"Oh, yeah, maybe. It was 2003 in my world when I left there."

"But, the books take place later than that.."

"Yes, but in my world, the last book came out in 2003. So I guess they were written about events that hadn't happened yet in _my_ world but had already happened _elsewhere_, maybe?"

"Okay, so who is the sexiest Cullen in your estimation?"

"That was out of left field..." I laughed.

"Oh really? I thought it was out of the ballpark!" He snickered at his own joke.

"How do you expect me to answer that? You're all abnormally sexy," I reminded him.

"Even my dad?"

"Of course."

"Ewww, Izzy thinks my dad is sexy." I tried not to laugh and encourage him.

"Yeah, so? I think your mom is sexy too. You're all vampires, Em. Vampires are _supposed _to be sexy, they're supposed to _exude_ sexy. It's in the genes."

"You think _my mom_ is sexy. Mind. Blown…Okay, so if we _weren't_ vampires, which of us would be sexy? Like based on your type, or whatever."

"Okay no, _this_...is going to blow your mind. In my world, they started making movies based on these stories, and they had almost all of the actors change their appearance to fit the descriptions in the books, even though they already basically looked like human versions of you all. But in doing so, they actually succeeded in making them _less_ attractive in my opinion. So, my answer is this.

"A human Carlisle would look better with darker hair. A human Esme would look better with bangs. Human Edward, would look better if he just shaved his head, I think. Human Alice, long, medium brown waves. Human Jasper, short, dark brown and spiked a bit. Human Rose, tanned with straight brown hair. And human Emmett, slightly lighter color hair and add in a couple of days stubble."

"Really, you think I should quit shaving?"

"Umm…vampires shave? I thought your hair didn't grow anymore..."

"Nah, I'm just fuckin' wit'cha Iz." He grinned, showing off those movie star dimples.

"Emmett, language!" Esme admonished.

"Ugh, I thought so!" I huffed, feigning anger and chucking a pillow at him.

"So what you are saying is that if we weren't vampires, we'd all need a trip to the salon?" Alice asked, looking puzzled.

"Well, when you put it that way, it sounds rude. Basically, you were all born in an Era before changing your hairstyle all that much was common. People would style their hair of course, but they didn't dye it or cut it elaborately or gel it or wear wigs, etc. That's why. Not because I'm trying to say you all have bad hair." I attempted to explain, getting a bit frustrated with Emmett for putting me in this position. "Does anyone else have any _real _questions?"

"I do!" Emmett smirked mischievously.

"Yes, Emmett? This is your last one, so you'd better make it good."

"Okay, hmm, let's see…how did you get here?"

Oh wow. I didn't think he'd actually have a serious question.

"You really want to know? This isn't a joke? Because it was reasonably traumatic, although it hasn't really hit me yet. So I don't want to tell you if you're going to make light of it." I sighed.

"Scout's honor," he vowed.

"Some woman, whom I had never met before, barged into my house. She drew a Portal on my wall and told me that whoever was after her, was after me too. She told me to throw the books through and that the books would take me to their world which was real. She said the Portal would be permanently sealed and I could never return. When I said I didn't want to leave my family, she sent me through anyway and I'm pretty sure whoever I was supposed to be running from, killed her and my family as I was going through the Portal. I could hear the screaming even after it was sealed. In hindsight, I think it was a vampire and not the vegetarian kind."

"Well fuck."

"Yeah, pretty much."

"I'm sorry, Iz."

"S'okay. I lost people who I cared about, yes, but I have a feeling I'm most likely gaining some new ones. Not to mention the fact that I'm pretty sure this new life will afford better opportunities for me than my old one did. Even if you disregard all of the supernatural stuff and all the new people in my life here, I think I would still have it better.

"Bella applied herself more in school than me, so I have a better academic history now, and the memories of everything she learned. She was healthier and in better physical shape, so there's that. She had a choice of two cities to live in, and two choices of parents to live with. She seems to have a much easier time attracting people to her and making friends, and she had her driver's license and the required know-how which I can now make use of. So, all in all, I'd say I traded up.

"And as for my family, I don't have it in me to grieve just yet anyway. There are too many other changes to get acclimated to for right now. I'll deal with that side of things when I'm settled in, and I'm used to everything here." I attempted a half smile that was meant to be reassuring but felt a little forced.

"Anyway, if no one has any other questions, I believe Edward and I should talk, and then Alice wants me to go shopping with her. Are we good with everything for now?" I asked.

"Yes, but just so we know up front, do you have any problems with us discussing some of the more important things with our family in Alaska?" Carlisle asked gently.

"Oh, yeah it makes sense to fill them in, but could one of you please do it? I don't feel like having to try to summarize the books for anyone, and my memory isn't really adequate to do it justice. Plus, some of the things you will want to tell them should come from family anyway." I replied, hoping not to sound like I was squirming out of it.

"Yes, that's fine, Dear." Esme assured me, "We wouldn't put any of that on you. We will talk to them. In fact, it might be better if Carlisle and I went up there in person and allowed them to read the books. Would that be alright, Izzy? I think maybe they should hear some parts of this in person."

"Good point, yes, I agree." I nodded, still getting used to being called Izzy, which I liked hands down better than Bella.

"Great, now I am stealing the star of this show away for a while. I will bring Alice and Jasper with us as a precaution, but I don't think I'm going to have as many issues with her blood as I was worried I might have." Edward reassured his family, offering me his arm while Alice took my other and Jasper walked alongside Edward.

We went outside and walked into the woods that surrounded the Cullen property for aways. When we reached what looked to be a sort of outdoor living room, in a small clearing, we sat down. There were chairs and end tables carved from single pieces of wood. There was also a covered table and shelf with a few outdoor activities. Such as a guitar, which I later learned was Jasper's, and a collection of Emmett's water guns. There was also a water spigot for filling the guns and water balloons.

"This must be Esme's work?" I appreciated what I saw, looking around.

"Yes, it most certainly is. She wanted us out of the house more often." Edward chuckled.

"Alright, so, where should we start?" I asked him, already feeling slightly nervous but not uncomfortable. _Well, here goes!_

* * *

**AN: Eager to know what you think of Izzy's approach and ideas etc.!**

**Next chapter, we'll get a look at Edward's POV!**


	5. It Began As A Story

**AN: Hi All! This is the last of the chapters I already had finished. The next chapter is partially written and after that, updates will slow down for this since I will be working on some of my other stories now that I have more time to write because my house is finally clean!**

**Thanks to all who are checking this out, following, and favouriting!**

**Special thanks to, twi nana, and kirifox, for reviewing last chapter!**

**Please read the Author's Note at the bottom of the page because it will clarify a few things this chapter might not.**

* * *

**Chapter Four: It Began As a Story...Which Parts Should Become our Reality?**

**Edward's POV**

"First things first, we should talk about your conditions," I smirked.

"She has conditions?" Jasper puzzled, totally confused by the emotions rolling off of me. Apparently, according to his thoughts, I was giving off amusement, curiosity, confusion and possibly a little disgust, but I was trying very hard to stomp that one out.

"Yes, she does. Conditions for entering into a relationship with me. And from what I'm catching, I think they're very interesting ones indeed. Izzy?" I offered her the floor.

"Thanks, you know I'm just as bad with blushing as Bella was, right?" She warned. "Anyway let me qualify my conditions a bit before I tell you what they are."

"Alright, I'm all ears." I nodded.

"So, the fact that Bella is still a part of me, though even I can't say yet how much a part, I guess time will have to tell… Well, it basically means that I probably couldn't live without you if I tried. And really, I wouldn't want to. As much as Edward and Bella made mistakes in the books, I still firmly believe in their love. So if it's possible to have even a _fraction_ of that, then, of course, I want to try.

"But I personally don't believe that monogamy is the best choice for everyone. And I know from previous experience that it isn't a viable option for me. Even when I have fallen hard for someone in the past, I have still always been capable of developing feelings for others at the same time. I am, at my core, polyamorously wired. I believe that it is possible to love multiple people deeply and romantically at the same time. And I believe that when someone new comes into your heart, it doesn't mean you should discard the person you already love and throw them away like yesterday's garbage.

"Bella, in the books, was also in love with Jacob. I don't believe for a second that she should have had to choose. If they both truly loved her as they claimed to, they should have found a way to put aside their differences and their jealousy and permitted her to be with both of them. Now, do I think they had a right to be jealous of one another? Of course! Everyone has a right to feel jealous. But what is not okay, is to use jealousy as an excuse for pigeon-holing someone into making a decision that is lose-lose for everyone involved.

"If Bella had been presented with the option to stay with her vampire and her wolf, for example, Jacob's heart would not have been broken, Bella's heart would not have been broken, and frankly, neither would Edward's because he would still have her, and she would still love him, and they would still be together. Making her chose Edward didn't make her fall out of love with Jacob. The only thing that did that was when he imprinted on Renesmee. Which honestly, I think that the imprint was God's way of giving Jacob a chance to heal and be set free from Bella.

"It's possible that if Bella had not cut Jacob loose, he never would have imprinted on Nessie, or the imprint would have just stayed platonic. In fact, we don't know for certain that they would have eventually become romantic, do we? Isn't it possible that Nessie never fell in love with Jake and he never fell out of love with Bella? For all we know, maybe _that_ was the case and Bella eventually chose to be with both of them anyway. Maybe Jacob ended up being more like a second father to Nessie. Maybe Ness ended up with Nahuel. The point is, we don't know.

"And Jacob is only one example. I can think of several other people in the books that Bella developed close bonds with, that could have become loving, romantic relationships, if they weren't so monogamously minded.

"Now, I'm not saying she should have ever _cheated _on Edward. Cheating is disgusting and despicable. But it isn't cheating if they had sat down and he'd said: 'So, Bella, I've noticed you have feelings for Jake.' And she'd said: 'Actually yeah, Edward, I think I do.' And he'd said: 'Okay, what would you like to do about that?' And she'd said: 'Well, Edward, I'd never want Jacob to come between us, and I could never live with myself if I lost you because of my feelings for him, but I don't see these feelings going away any time soon.' And he'd said: 'Is Jacob a threat to our relationship?'

"And she'd said: 'No, I have no intention of leaving you for him.' And he'd said: 'But you'd still like to pursue it?' And she'd said: 'Yes if that was something you could be comfortable with.' And he'd said: 'So, he wouldn't be taking my place, I'd just have to, move over to make room for him, so to speak?' And she'd said: 'Only if he was open to it and you could handle that. Then yes, that is what would ultimately make me happiest. But I don't want to make _you unhappy._ If you aren't capable of sharing, we won't do this.'

"And he'd said: 'No, I think that as long as you are still in love with me and want to be with me, then I don't care if you also want to be with someone else. I don't feel threatened by Jacob because you've assured me that I am important to you and that loving him doesn't mean that you love _me_ any _less_.'

"Now _that _is the type of conversations people should be having, instead of trying to hack out the part of your heart that belongs to one of those people. Don't you think?" She finished, pausing for me to process.

I had to think for a few moments, partly because I wanted to give due consideration to everything that Izzy had said, and partly to consider how I actually felt about it. I had to admit, my heart did break for Bella in the books when she had to choose. It was part of the reason I couldn't be that upset when Jacob imprinted on Renesmee. I sort of felt that it was the least we owed him after all the pain he went through with losing Bella.

But to actually give up some of Bella's time and attention to him? To allow her love for him to flourish? To accept the fact that she would be his as well as mine? Mind, heart, body, and soul? Could I do that? How would it feel to see them kissing? To have him take her to bed? And how would that even work? Would there be Jacob days and Edward days? Would we all live together? Would she want to be with him in front of me, or visa versa? Would she expect me to participate? I had to shudder at that last one, knowing that was where I would draw the line.

But was there really anything I wouldn't do for the love of my life? Was there really any small measure of my happiness that I wouldn't sacrifice for hers? And more importantly, would I really have to sacrifice anything? She'd still be mine, just not exclusively.

And I knew I would have to share her time regardless because she would want to spend time with the rest of the family anyway, and her friends. Building friendships and familial bonds. What difference did it make if some of that time apart was for romantic reasons? It's not like vampires could contract STIs, and furthermore, she's already planning on being Rosalie's surrogate, giving birth to a baby that isn't mine. She might even be using her own eggs to do so. So, if I can be okay with that, really, how much harder would this be?

"What type of relationship are you looking for, exactly? Completely open? Selectively open? Only open to Jacob? What are your terms?" I asked. So many questions, I hoped she didn't think I was being rude.

"Definitely not completely open, I don't have any desire for casual sex. I wouldn't be interested in pursuing anything unless there were strong romantic feelings involved. And as far as Jacob, I have no idea how that will go. I may not have any interest in him. My feelings are different than Bella's about a lot of things.

"I also wouldn't be interested in pursuing any humans. I'm already involved with the supernatural, I have no desire to be torn between two worlds or to break the law. I may not be a vampire now, but I fully intend to be one day. So I definitely draw the line at humans. I also draw the line at indiscriminate human blood drinkers. If a person's eyes are red, they better be red for a good fucking reason.

"I don't draw any lines _personally_ when it comes to gender, or multiple relationships, but I _do_ fully respect the lines other people draw for themselves. And I'm also not planning on actively _looking_ for anything else. Ever. I'm only talking about the possibility that sometimes arises, where people naturally develop feelings for one another, by spending time together.

"I'm saying that I want to spend time getting to know you. That I want to embark on a relationship journey with you. That I'm hoping, we will turn out to be as good together as our alternate selves were in the book world. And, that if we do, and it feels right, I would eventually like it to become permanent. But unlike in the books, where Bella allowed Edward to make nearly all of her decisions, while she was human; I don't believe, that your being part of a superior species, makes you more qualified to dictate my life's path than I am.

"If I want to spend time with certain people, be they vampire, wolf or human, I will do so. If I want to be friends with and get to know, members of your family, the pack, the tribe, or the town of Forks, that is _my _choice. The only time that you would have a say in it, is if you feel that my time spent with other people is causing me to neglect you. If you are to court me, and yes, I know that is a rather archaic term, but it sounds much nicer than 'date' does, don't you think? Well, for as long as we are together, it is important we spend time together, and I promise to always make time for you, no matter what else is going on in my life.

"Now that isn't to say that you can't give me advice. And by all means, if you have concerns around _whom_ I choose to spend time with, I would still like to hear them. But if I choose not to take your advice, that is my choice and you need to accept that. Even if you believe that a person is dangerous, all you can do is warn me and share your reasons.

"I'm not stupid Edward. I know better than to get into a screaming match with a shapeshifter in close quarters or go near one who is shaking. I am well aware that being near _any_ vampire who hasn't fed recently is dangerous, especially if they are a human drinker, and that being near vegetarians is _always _a bit risky since they are never fully sated the way that human drinkers are. I am also aware of stranger danger, and how to stay out of vulnerable situations. I also purchased a cell phone before coming here, and promise to keep it on me at all times. I am not being naive or irresponsible in my desire to be my own person, I assure you. Is all of this starting to make sense yet?" She paused.

I smiled, from the snippets I was getting, she was very self-conscious over how I would receive this. "Yes, actually. I understand the concept of polyamory, in theory, though I have never known anyone personally who engaged in that lifestyle. I have actually seen it in the minds of many who do though because we live in proximity to Seattle and have been there many times. They have a growing polyamorous community there, so I'm a bit familiar with the concept. I mostly wanted clarification, since it can mean many different things, to many people. Your version seems surprisingly acceptable. Let me just make sure we're on the same page regarding your expectations.

"We would be exclusive during courtship? I would have time to get to know you and vise versa. I would accept your independent nature and attempt to curb my desire for control. We would have open lines of communication between us and the ability to voice our concerns with one another. And provided all goes well, we would be working towards permanency.

"Down the road, if any emotional connection that you have built, or are building with another person, becomes less platonic and more romantic; then we would discuss it fully before anything becomes physical. If we both feel that we are secure enough in our relationship at that time, that the addition of a third party would not do harm to what we have built, then you would be given the green light to polyamorously court said third party. Which, if it works out, would also have the potential to become permanent, is all of that correct?"

She smiled brilliantly, obviously pleased with how well this discussion was going. "Yes, that is exactly what I mean, Edward. Does that seem like something you could be comfortable with?"

I didn't even hesitate. "It does. But I do have to ask, primarily for curiosity's sake, how would it work in reverse? I mean, the odds of it being a possibility are slim to none anyway. I have, after all, been alive over one hundred years, and you are the first girl who has ever been of interest to me. But on the off chance I were ever struck a second time, would the same rules apply?"

_A very good question, Edward._ She spoke in her mind. To her, my asking such a question implied I was seriously considering it. Which, I was. "Of course, the same rules would apply. I'm not a jealous person, by nature. And I would also never expect _you_ to be okay with anything that _I_ wouldn't personally agree to myself. So yes, the same rules would apply." She nodded emphatically. "Any other questions?"

"I have one if y'all don't mind my interruption," Jasper said. "Are you two really going to do the long, drawn-out, gradual courtship that you had in the books? I mean forgive me for sticking my nose in, but I really don't see the point. You both already know each other's life stories from reading the books. That is, with the exception of Izzy's life before coming to this dimension. Which she probably won't feel like talkin' about for a while yet, anyway.

"Edward, you've said her blood isn't quite as intense as it was in the books, and you overcame that without incident. And I will tell you both, that even though you _say_ this doesn't feel as strong for either of you as what was described on paper...as the resident empath…_I_ beg to differ. What I'm feeling comin' off of both of you, is _at least _as strong as what I have with Alice. And _we're_ hopelessly devoted to one another.

"So tell me, if it's that strong already and you know a fair bit about each other…and the blood isn't a _huge _issue, then why torture yourselves? Life is far too precious to waste on pleasantries and leisurely strolls if you catch my meaning. If there's anything those books should have taught us, it's that. Sorry, I know it isn't any of my business but I wanted to throw that out there."

Jasper made a good point, I had to admit. Izzy seemed to think so too. "Well, I mostly suggested taking things slow for Edward's sake. Not only is he from another era, where such was the way of things, but my long term ideas for our lifestyle are pretty unconventional, even by modern-day standards. And then, of course, there is the issue of the blood. Though, as you say, not as much of an issue," she explained and I was touched that she had considered my comfort so much.

"Yes, and Jazz, I don't think anyone is suggesting we take things _quite_ as slow as our bookselves did. They had a lot to deal with that hopefully we won't. They had everything from enemies to contend with, to a rather significant breakup. Hopefully, with the knowledge of the books, we will be able to avoid all of that. And then we can spend those precious months on our relationship, instead of dealing with problem after problem. That would be ideal," I looked at her softly and moved close enough to gently take her hand in mine.

She looked into my eyes. An experience of which no words could do justice. "So, we're in agreement then? We both know what we want, short term and long term, and we aren't going to waste time on things that don't matter? And you are going to accept my desire to get to know your family since there is a chance they may one day become my family too. And you will deal with the fact that the wolves will probably be a part of my life as well, if for no other reasons than because of Charlie, and also the possibility that we may eventually need their help?" She asked, clearly wanting to conclude this. Probably because it was starting to feel a little like we had regressed to the era of arranged marriages and dowries when the families would get together to hash things out.

It was a little overwhelming, to say the least. I was starting to empathize with what life must be like for Alice. If this was what having a _few years _knowledge of your future felt like, I couldn't even imagine what it would be like to _always _know. I'd have to talk to her about it at some point, now that I could sort of relate.

I decided to take a chance and answer her honestly, with what I wanted, instead of playing games. "Yes. And Izzy, it may be too forward of me…but I'd be lying if I didn't say, I'd like to seal this with a kiss?"

"Oh fer Pete's sake, Edward! This is what I mean! Stop lollygagging, git over there, an' kiss the girl already, would ya?" Jasper huffed, throwing a chair cushion at me.

And so, in the blink of an eye, not having to be told twice, I had her pressed gently up against a tree, in the most mind-blowing, earth-shattering, kiss imaginable. In her 'dazzled' haze, as original Bella would have called it, I doubt that she even heard a new voice enter the clearing and speak.

"Now, did I hear somebody sayin' my name?"

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**AN: Just to clarify, since a few people have been asking, the reason there is no ship listed for this story, is because I haven't decided who all (besides Edward) Izzy is going to be with. **

**Izzy is a very fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants type of person and what sounds appealing to her today, might not be tomorrow and vice versa. **

**So at this point, the only one who has a clear shot, is Edward, because original Bella is still in there somewhere ;-***

**But with that said, I'm not gonna focus on their romance too much because they both know what they want and it should be pretty straightforward getting them there. This story is going to be more about watching Izzy fall for other people one at a time and the changing family dynamics therein.**

**Hope that helps for everyone who was wondering about pairings.**

**Hugs and Blessings,**

**-BMW**


	6. Mighty Interestin' Reunion!

**AN: Hello Loves!**

**So grateful to those who are checking this story out, following, favouriting, and reviewing! Special thanks to the reviewers for last chapter!**

**Kyra, catgrl, and twi nana, y'all are the healing balm to my self-conscious brain!**

**Without further ado, here is the next chapter!**

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**Chapter Five: Now **_**This **_**is a Mighty Interestin' Reunion!**

**Pete's POV**

After introductions had been made, I couldn't help but feel like Edward's new mate knew more about us than she oughta.

I'd always had an ability that many people didn't know about. Of course, I had many reasons over the years fer keepin' it secret. My mate knew 'bout my gift. I dunno any vamp stupid 'nough ta keep secrets like that from their mate. The Major knew since we'd been close as brothers from the start. And that filthy witch Maria knew 'cause havin' a power was 'bout the only way to stay alive in her army fer longer than a year.

But other than those three, no one else had ever known that I just _knew _things. That is ta say...no one _until_ this Izzy person showed up.

"So, it's been a mighty long time since we been up this way ta see the Major. An' the missus an' I felt we were overdue fer a visit. Sorry ta spring it on ya folks. I'da called ahead, but it was sorta more a last minute decision." I grinned.

"So, it wasn't because your power told you to come? I mean, I know it doesn't say in the books that you have one, but there are a _lot_ of fanfiction stories where Peter just _knows _things, so it seems more plausible that you'd actually have that power than not." She smiled, completely oblivious ta the fact she'd just said so in front o' people whom I myself hadn't _ever_ shared that fact with. Thankfully, it was the pixie an' the mind-reader though, an' as such, they prolly already knew by way o' their own abilities.

Didn't stop Char from quietly hissin' at her fer outin' me like that though. "Char, behave, Honey. She didn't know it was a state secret. Now, Izzy..." I smirked, moving ta sit in the space nearest her chair. "What say ya tell me how it is ya happen ta come by such knowledge. An' what's this 'bout some books an' stories?" I asked, shootin' a glare at a certain little Sprite. I knew the Major wouldn'ta written anythin' down 'bout me or my abilities, but I wouldn't put it past the midget ta come out with somethin' like this.

Or the mind-reader for that matter, so I extended my glare ta include him too. My ire was short lived though, as she began explainin' the strange circumstances o' her travelin' ta this world, an' the even stranger circumstances o' her readin' 'bout all our folk, and the future, in a series o' books an' stories that were marketed as 'fiction' in her world.

"Holy shit! Well, I hope they at least described me as devilishly handsome an' my Char as the prettiest thang on two legs, or I'll have to sue the pants offa those fuckers fer slander." I laughed. And I was totally thrown off by her response. Even more so by the fact that it didn't earn a hiss or even a growl from Edward.

"Well sadly, the actual books by the original author barely mentioned you both more than in passing. But some of the fanfiction stories managed to capture the sexiness of the South more accurately. And I _have _heard everything's bigger in Texas." She finished with a wink.

Surprisingly, all Edward said was, "I think we need to work on your tastes, My Love. Or perhaps invest in some eyeglasses for you."

It was then that my power hit me with a vengeance. "Well, son of a wagon wheel! Y'all are in one o' them...open relationship thingies, ain't ya?" I said, the shock, clearly evident on my face.

"Is that even _possible _fer mates?" Char asked, incredulously.

"That probably depends on who the mates are. For us, it is the best option. Especially because I'm a lot different than original Bella, who _would_ have been the perfect fit for Edward. Her consciousness still exists within me, I didn't evict her or anything like that, but it's sort of like someone stamped my existence over top of hers. She is in there, but passively. It's actually a really weird feeling. Almost as if I lived her life in a dream but it stayed with me. I'm still me, but she has an effect on me." She explained.

"Huh. Well, that has to be a mite bit complicated, I guess." I nodded, suddenly grateful that the only hokey thing I had ta contend with was my own power, which tended ta be a lot more straightforward generally speakin'.

"It's much more complicated explaining it than it is experiencing it, trust me. Now that we pretty well have everything figured out, I really think the hardest part is trying to explain it to people. Either they won't approve, or they won't understand, or both. But that isn't too much different from the way everyone viewed Edward and Bella's relationship in the books anyway. Even just being a human, dating a vampire is a little much for some people by itself." Izzy laughed.

"Yes, especially when you get into the later books and all of the craziness that ensues. Izzy, is there any chance you'd allow Peter and Charlotte to read the books? I know there isn't much in the first three that pertains to them in any way, but the last book is information I think they might want to be armed with, considering some of the content." Edward asked politely.

"Oh, yeah, good point. Lemme go get them!" She said, runnin' into the house at a quick human speed an' comin' back with the books grinnin' like an idiot, albeit an adorable one. "You know, I haven't gotten used to how much better shape this body is in than my former one. It's kind of a riot to think how much healthier I am now. I can actually run without getting out of breath!"

"That's great, Love." Edward smiled sincerely. "While the Whitlocks are catching up on the events of the books, would you perhaps like to spend some time together?" He asked as Izzy handed me an' Char the first book an' set the other three on a nearby table.

"Why, Edward Cullen, are you asking me on a date?" She teased him playfully.

"That depends, would you say yes?" He sounded a lil' vulnerable when he asked that.

"As long as there are no mushroom ravioli involved, I'm game. Don't get me wrong, mushrooms are _delicious_ and so is ravioli, but I really can't imagine them going all that well together. I don't know what Bella was thinking when she ordered that. Besides, I tend to avoid ordering anything in a restaurant that I could probably make myself at home. It seems like a waste to do so. And pasta is one of the easier things to make so I probably wouldn't order that. Not that I'm saying we should even go to a restaurant. I'm actually not all that hungry anyway. But I'd feel awkward eating in front of you, even if I was," she continued ramblin', as they walked off, hand in hand.

Char and I began readin' the books. It was a little surreal readin' 'em. They were totally factual in their descriptions o' people, with the exception o' Bella, who had been somewhat different than Izzy, I was learnin'. But none o' the events since her arrival had happened the way they did in the books, so far, an' a lot weren't likely to.

Sure, the Cullens would prolly still have ta face off against James' coven, yes, but now Char and I planned ta stay in the area until the events o' the books had come ta pass. Knowin' that our extended family, by way o' Jasper, would need us...we wouldn't be hittin' the road any time soon.

"So, now that the stars of this show have left the building, anyone have any comments on the differences between Izzy an' Bella?" Jasper asked once we had finished readin' 'em all at vampire speed.

Alice smiled. "I think that as much as Alice loved Bella in the books, I'm going to love our Izzy even more. For one thing, I don't have to drag her along to get her to shop with me. She actually _likes _shopping. For another, I think she'll fare better with Edward than Bella did. Partially because he's aware of his potential mistakes now, but also in part, because she knows her own mind and seems much more willing to stand up to him when necessary.

"I bet she could have convinced him to turn her a lot sooner than in the books too if it weren't for this baby machine business. Which, I'm not altogether convinced won't kill her. But since not a lot of decisions have been made yet, I can't see too much. I _have _seen, however, that she _does_ actually survive her first pregnancy without being turned. Since her decision to be a surrogate for Rose is a firm one, I can see that much.

"But the books are correct about the hybrid babies, I can't see them. I just see her future disappearing for a few months following graduation next year, and then I see her still human afterward. But we'll have to keep any babies she births away from her for a while, if any are boys, since the books say male hybrids are venomous," The Pixie explained.

"You know, Ali, I didn't get the impression it was just Rose that Izzy is willin' to be surrogate for," Jasper stated, obviously leavin' it to Alice ta draw her own conclusions.

"I know, Jazzy. And it's something we can think about. I think most vampire couples tend to resign themselves to their infertility reasonably quickly after their change since up until now, there has been nothing else they _can _do. But now…well, to say that Izzy has opened up a whole new doorway would be the understatement of the century. Many people will have to reconsider how they feel about the possibility of parenthood as all of this comes to light. But thankfully it isn't a decision that needs to be rushed," she said, absent-mindedly rubbin' his shoulders.

I looked at my Char, thinkin' 'bout what this new information could mean even fer our own future. Not ta say Bella would necessarily be open ta helpin' _us_ out in that way, but even if she wasn't, there were other options now that we knew what we knew. Char smiled an' gave me a look that implied we could talk later 'bout it.

Jasper spoke, breakin' me outta my thoughts. "Another thing I am noticing about Izzy is that she seems to already have emotional attachments to all of us. That probably is partly to do with having read about us. She must feel like she knows us, I guess. But whereas Bella in the books was close to Edward and Alice early on and gradually became closer with everyone else, Izzy seems already invested in each of us.

"I think between that and the fact that she already knows about vampires as well as knowin' our own personal histories, this is gonna be a cakewalk in some ways compared to the books. But I think we will have other challenges that we didn't have with Bella." Jasper reasoned.

I grinned. "Ya mean like the fact she clearly plans on hittin' on all o' us?"

"I don't know if I'd call that a _challenge,_" Alice smirked. Jasper raised an eyebrow in her direction.

"What pray tell are you meaning to imply, Wife?" He questioned with feigned concern.

"Simply that the better term for it might be 'opportunity'," she began. "I know myself well enough to read between the lines of what the books weren't telling us."

"You mean the fact that Alice in the books was clearly fightin' a pretty strong attraction to Bella? Yeah, that was obvious. At least, to me. But then again I know you like the back of my hand." Jasper mused.

Alice smiled sheepishly. "You picked up on it too, huh? Are you mad?"

Jasper laughed. "Course not. Besides...you can't possibly think you were the only one?"

"No. I'm fairly certain that I wasn't. And frankly, this Izzy seems even more loveable than Bella so far. She is more straightforward and voices her opinions, even when they're controversial. I like that," Alice admitted.

Jasper nodded. "I like that she is a revolutionary. She already seems intent to shake things up and right the wrongs of the world. Most people coming to a new place under similar circumstances would be scared of changin' things. But Izzy seems to want to fix what went wrong in the books and carve out a better future for everyone. I, for one, am excited to see how it all plays out."

Just then, we heard the rest of the Cullens come out of the house an' head our way. "Sorry to interrupt." Carlisle smiled. "Emmett was very adamant that he had heard Peter's voice and insisted we come out and see if he heard correctly."

"I told you they were here! Rosie, you owe me twenty bucks!" Em grinned, comin' over ta give me a man hug with a pat on the back. "Good to see you, Buddy, it's been ages!" He grinned.

"Yeah, we reckoned it was gettin' ta be shamefully long since we'd seen Y'all so we headed on up to the great wet state of Washington," I smirked.

"Well, it is wonderful to see you two." Esme smiled. "Where did Edward and Izzy head off to? Did you get a chance to meet her?"

"Yeah, she's quite the character. Pun fully intended. We just finished readin' the books," I told 'em.

"Pretty crazy stuff, right?" Emmett beamed. "So did he carry her off into the sunset or what?" He questioned.

"They're having their first date," Alice explained. "But unlike Bella, Izzy is polyamorous. So even if she and Edward hit it off and end up together, they likely won't be exclusive."

"Wait...what?" Emmett asked, his brow furrowin' in bewilderment.

Alice proceeded ta explain to 'em the conversation that Izzy and Edward had. She assured us she'd checked her visions first ta make sure Izzy wouldn't be mad later that she had told everyone 'bout that.

Everyone was silent fer a few moments while they digested that news.

"So, does that mean there won't be a wedding for Alice to plan?" Esme pouted.

"Actually, I think what is more likely is that there may eventually be multiple weddings." Alice cheered.

"Yeah. But that's puttin' the cart before the horse, Babe. First, she and Edward need to court and become secure in their relationship before anything like that happens." Jasper shrugged.

"Still, it definitely poses an interesting turn of events." Carlisle pondered. "I never would have guessed such a lifestyle would be possible for vampires."

"Well, we still don't know if it will. No decisions have been made yet, beyond the courtship they are pursuing together, so that is all I can see in their future thus far," Alice admitted.

My gift wasn't givin' me too much ta go on yet either. But I was pretty certain the odds of somethin' happenin' between Alice an' Izzy were pretty decent at least.

I also had a funny feelin' brewin' 'bout how the wolf might figure into things.

Oh well, I guess we'd have ta wait an' see.

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**AN: Okay, so I'm starting to be able to see some of the pairings in my mind's eye. A lot of things are going to happen differently from canon.**

***Slight spoilers so look away now if you don't want to be warned about pairings!***

**(There will be at least one femslash pairing, probably more. There will be a wolf pairing, probably just one though because I know my basic plan for that already. And as for any surrogacies, I've decided they will have to come about the old fashioned way, so that gives you a few ideas of some other possible hookups that might be happening. ;-* )**

**As always, I love hearing from you and I'm happy to answer any questions!**

**Hugs and Blessings,**

**-BMW**


	7. Building a Firm Foundation

**AN: Today I learned that I am on the right track. In life, the surest sign that you are doing something worthwhile is when you meet with opposition. For the first time ever, I decided to inject a strong faith message into my fanfiction writing, something I had been working up the courage to do for a long time.**

**And sure enough, while I was working on this chapter, I received some stinging criticisms of this story. I was admittedly discouraged and thought briefly about packing it in, or at least, taking a break from writing it.**

**But then I realized it was no coincidence that those criticisms came at this turning point in my writing. It was a test. A test to determine if my faith was strong enough to whether the storm.**

**And so, I offer a wholehearted thank you to the Guest reviewer who helped me to find my inner strength today! And thank you also to, MinervaCullen, for giving some much appreciated positive feedback to balance it out!**

**Thanks to all who enjoy this story and my writings in general and who so graciously allow me to jump up on my soapbox and deliver a message. Whether it be one of faith, tolerance, acceptance, inclusion, or abundant love.**

**My Brother, Jesus, this one is for you! ;-***

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**Chapter Six: Building a Firm Foundation**

When Edward and I left the others to have our date, he was going to take the Volvo, but I stopped him.

"Can we go on foot? I want to know what it feels like to run at vampire speed." I stated boldly, even though I was honestly scared shitless.

"Yes, if you're sure you want to?" He confirmed.

"I am." I nodded.

He complied, putting me on his back. When he started running, it was exhilarating! I found I enjoyed the speed so much I never wanted to stop. It felt like we were flying.

A strong urge overcame me to make a request that we run to Canada, but I knew I wasn't ready for that yet. I didn't know what I would find if I went there. Would this world even have a version of my family? Would they know who I was? Would I get there and find them dead? No, I wasn't ready to face that yet.

Edward must've picked up enough snippets from my mind to get the gist of what I was thinking about. He gradually slowed to a stop and carefully set me down, spinning me gently around to face him.

"I'm so sorry, Izzy. I can't imagine how painful it must be." He sighed, pulling me into his arms.

"Actually, I think you have a pretty good idea. You lost your parents too, Edward. You might not remember them much yourself, but I know you must've at least seen them in Carlisle's thoughts. Which means that you watched them die in vivid vampiric recall," I gasped with the realization. "Oh, Edward. I am so, so sorry!" I told him, my lip quivering as my eyes began to water.

I started sobbing all over Edward's shirt. How had no one ever thought of that in my world?! I couldn't believe that neither the author herself or any of the hundreds of fanfics I had read ever mentioned that.

When Edward was a newborn, Carlisle would not have known yet how to hide his thoughts from Edward, since his gift worked much differently than Aro's. Any time Carlisle's mind ever drifted to the Masens on their deathbed, Edward would have had to relive it in his mind's eye! Those thoughts would have been crystal clear for him like watching it in a movie.

Edward held me close as I cried the tears he never could over the loss of his parents and I guess in doing so, it allowed me to feel the loss of mine without completely breaking down. It was very cathartic for both of us as I quickly learned.

"Izzy, you have no idea how much it means to me that you figured that out. No one in the family realizes. Having never been a mind-reader themselves, it never occurred to them just exactly how much I've seen. Not only my parents' deaths but I've also seen Esme post suicide attempt, lying at the bottom of a cliff, clinging to life; Rosalie, freshly raped and on the verge of death; Emmett gruesomely mauled by the bear; and every single awful thing that Maria ever subjected Jasper to. But please, Izzy, you cannot tell them. I beg you. It would break their hearts to realize just exactly how much of a burden my gift is." He sighed.

"I won't say a word, Edward. I can't believe they never realized. Alice must be the one bright spot for you when it comes to the family's histories. Since she has no memories of her human life and no one else in the family knew her back then." That was when I had another crucial realization.

"Oh! Edward, please...when the family confronts James, don't be there! If you meet him, just think of all the things you'll have to see! Alice being tortured in the asylum while he stalked her! Not to mention everything else that might be lurking in that psycho's head. Let Jasper and Peter kill him. Please?" I begged, my hands fisting desperately in his shirt.

"I don't think I had better, Izzy. What if I can pick more out of his thoughts in regard to Alice's past than what the books revealed? What if I can help her put together more pieces of her missing history? It wouldn't be fair to pass up that opportunity for my own comfort. You understand that...right?" he insisted.

I sighed dramatically. "I do. I don't like it. But I understand it."

"Thank you, My Love." He smiled softly, moving us so that we were looking into each other's eyes.

"Kiss me?" I pleaded.

"With pleasure." He beamed. We kissed so long I think I stopped breathing.

"Izzy! Don't let me get so carried away, you need oxygen!" He laughed, checking me over to make sure I was alright.

"Meh, oxygen is highly overrated compared to your kisses." I grinned. I was so glad things with Edward and the family were off to such a good start.

Now all I had to do was survive attending high school. _Ahh shit! Speaking of school!_

"Edward...were we supposed to have school today? I distinctly remember the books saying that Bella arrived one day and went to school the next." I worried.

"We were, but Alice called in pretending to be you and said that you still had a lot of supplies to purchase and therefore needed to start tomorrow. And Esme called the rest of us in, which the school is totally used to, so no need to panic," he assured me.

"Oh! Okay, that's a relief!" I laughed. "We should probably talk about school though. There are some changes I want to make from the books."

"You mean, like not standing in front of the fan in biology, and not getting nearly smushed by Tyler's van perhaps?" He teased as we began walking along again at human speed hand in hand. It felt nice, even though his hands were ice cold, just as the rest of him was. Thankfully I was used to Canadian winters and the cold didn't bother me. I had to wonder how Bella had endured it, having lived in Phoenix since she was six.

"Yes, for starters. And I was thinking maybe if we told my dad and anyone else who is curious that Carlisle asked you all to take me under your wing, then I could just sit at your cafeteria table right away? That way you could sneak me food so it seems like you're eating. I know no one noticed besides Bella in the books, but I'm really surprised they didn't." I suggested. "Plus it drives me crazy when people waste food, no offense."

Edward laughed. "Yeah, I see your point. After reading the books it was a little enlightening I must admit. I never realized quite how obvious we were being."

"That's okay, that's what I'm here for." I grinned. "By the way...where are we?" I asked, looking around as we emerged from the woods onto a road.

"Port Angeles. But don't worry, we're not going Italian. I promise this will be something you'll like. I looked it up while you were telling Esme your favorite foods. It's called Jasmine Bistro and they serve Thai and tapas. You said you really like Asian food and that you love tapas, so I was hoping this would be perfect." He smiled, seeming slightly nervous.

"It's more than perfect! Especially since tapas will make it easy to hide the fact you aren't eating." I nodded. "I can't believe we ran all the way to Port Angeles though! You're even faster than I realized!"

"Actually, that wasn't my fastest speed," he admitted as we headed into the restaurant. He asked them to seat us in a secluded corner, though there wasn't a lot of people anyway due to it being just after eleven which meant they had only just opened.

"This is nice, Edward, thank you for bringing me here." I smiled taking his hands in mine as we sat glancing at the menu.

"Any objections if I order the whole tapas menu? It's fifteen dishes but we can take home the leftovers and you can take some to your house for Charlie so you won't have to cook him dinner the next couple days, and we can take some to our place for you to snack on when you're over?" he offered.

"You know, my first instinct was to say no because that is a ridiculous amount of food...but unlike Bella, I hate cooking, so if it gets me out of having to cook for Charlie, I'm game." I nodded eagerly.

"Wow. That's way less resistance than I thought I might get. It seems we're learning the art of compromise already," he praised.

"Yes, well, I still plan to argue when it's something I feel strongly about, but I'm not going to argue just for the sake of arguing. That's a waste of both our time," I explained.

The waitress came over and he ordered the tapas menu and asked if I wanted anything to drink. I opted for water since I'd need it to wash down all the food I planned on ingesting. Unlike Bella, I wasn't going to be shy about it. I knew one day I wouldn't be able to taste human food anymore and as a person who loved to eat, I aimed to get my fill of it while I could.

"Are you still going to try to make friends with the same crowd at school?" Edward asked as we waited for the food.

"I don't know if it will be an option." I shrugged. "Those kids might be deterred from talking to me if I'm hanging out with the elusive Cullens right off the bat. Not that it will be a great loss if Mike Newton doesn't hit on me and Jessica Stanley doesn't pretend to care."

"Yeah, they're mostly your typical high school teenagers. With the exception of Angela who is a bright girl and fairly mature for her age. I'd suggest that she might be a good friend for sunny days when we won't be there," Edward reminded me.

"Oh yeah! I guess I shouldn't blow off the entire human populace of the student body of Forks High. Otherwise, I might get lonely when your sparkly butts are stuck at home." I grinned.

Then a random thought occurred to me. "I might need your help with something. I have two sets of memories in my head, mine and Bella's. And while it will be easy enough not to mix the two up at home, since my family and hers were very different...it might be a little harder with school.

"I dunno if you've picked it out of my head yet, but I'm actually from Canada. And the school system there is a fair bit different. I'm sure you know the differences since I know the family has lived there before. And I'd hate to accidentally slip into metric or Celsius or start using the wrong spellings of things and give myself away. Especially since all of the teachers here will know that Bella was from Phoenix, which is nowhere near Canada." I frowned.

Edward smiled. "I had picked that out, yes. Don't worry, Alice or I can proofread your assignments for you and check for discrepancies," he offered. "In fact, if you're really worried about it, we could get your class schedule altered so that one of us is always able to sit next to you and proof your classwork as well as your homework? Unless you think that's too clingy?"

I laughed happily. "I'm a lot more social than original Bella. There is a higher danger of _you_ thinking that about _me_ than the other way around. I've been told before that I tend to be _way_ too clingy," I admitted.

"Good. So we don't have to worry about scaring you away," he said cheerfully as the first of our tapas dishes arrived and our water glasses.

"Chicken Sate." The waitress announced.

"Thank you, this looks delicious!" I beamed, inhaling the aroma of the dish. She smiled and left us to dish our plates from the central dish.

I took a moment to say grace and Edward looked immediately impressed. "Oh right. Bella doesn't do that. I guess I'll have to pray internally at Charlie's." I shrugged.

"I didn't realize you were Christian. I guess I didn't notice at the house," he pondered.

"Actually, I was really nervous and forgot to say grace," I admitted. "I wasn't raised Christian, even though my mother was, and my grandparents were quite involved in their church. But my mom felt like it was forced on her and she never wanted me to feel that way. So I found my faith on my own as a teenager. Of course, I chose one of the more liberal denominations, if you couldn't tell by the bisexuality and the fraternizing with vampires." I laughed.

"Well, I have to admit, I'm pretty glad your church allows you to fraternize with vampires," he teased.

"I mean, they don't exactly _know_ about vampires, but my church is very much about hating the sin while loving the sinner. After all, the greatest commandments are to love God and to love one another, right?" I assured him.

"True. I suppose I've spent too much of my own history hating myself for my sins when instead I should have been attempting to make amends for them," Edward decided.

"Exactly. Helping those in need and reaching out to others, goes a long way towards repentance," I agreed.

"Thank you, Izzy. Maybe that's something you can help me work on?" he suggested hopefully.

I nodded joyfully. "Yeah. I'd love to."

The waitress brought over our next dish. Well, _my_ next dish, since Edward obviously wasn't eating. "Curry Puffs," she announced.

"Yum!" I grinned as Edward's phone buzzed.

"What's up?" I asked though I imagined it was probably Alice.

"It's Alice. She's just messaging to let us know she filled the family in on the whole polyamory thing. She says she saw that you wouldn't mind?" he confirmed.

I smiled, blushing slightly as I finished my bite and responded. "I don't mind, but does that mean I'm gonna get a bunch of weird looks when we get back there? Possibly some awkward questions from Em?"

"Curious looks maybe but no judgment. Definitely the awkward questions though but that's Em for you," he shrugged.

"That's okay. I'm used to similar reactions," I admitted.

"Well if he says anything too uncomfortable for you I'm more than willing to sock him one!" He joked.

"Thanks but no thanks." I laughed. "I can handle Emmett."

"You know, I'm starting to believe there isn't much you _can't _handle." He smiled.

I shrugged. "It's like scripture says: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Edward beamed. "Isn't that the truth!"

* * *

**AN: Okay, I'm literally shaking with nerves for wearing my heart on my sleeve with this one. Hopefully at least one person out there was touched by this. Either way, I love to hear your feedback!**

**Hugs and Blessings,**

**-BMW**


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